As concerns about our nation's dependence on foreign oil increase, and as Americans become more aware of the environmental impacts of foreign petroleum use in the environment and the economy of the country, interest in alternative energy sources, such as, domestically produced alternative fuels, and wind, solar, and geothermal production energy is increasing for fueling of the transportation engines as well as generation of electrical energy.
Natural force energy, such as wave energy and energy produced from gravitational and buoyant forces are also finding interest. Various devices and methods have been developed that utilize natural forces to provide power. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,978 to Chih-Chiang teaches powering of two sets of fluid pumps to pump fluid to the top of fluid tanks, two sets of conveyors to transfer floaters (balls), two sets of hydraulic cylinders to insert balls into the two fluid tanks, and the operation of a set of two double-wall airtight gates. The principal difficulty with pumping devices, such as that of Chih-Chiang '978, is the need to raise the fluid head, thereby requiring a large expenditure of energy and further causing a pause in the operation; that is, an undesired idle time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,242 to Gilmore discloses cylinders and chains connected weights. Gilmore '242 exhibits the difficulties of maintaining a seal between the air and fluid media, and does not teach a means for hermetically sealing the buoyancy shaft, while allowing the transportation of the weights up the shaft.
Other devices utilize buoyant objects in concert with wave motion to produce energy via piezoelectric means, such as is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,889 to Epstein. However, such devices are limited to use where waves are generated or otherwise available.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an energy generating system and method of use thereof, wherein the system effectively and efficiently utilizes buoyant and gravitational forces, thereby overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages of having to raise fluids to a substantial head height, sealing difficulties, and/or requiring a source of wave motion.